Kline Specter wins $105M settlement

Kline & Specter’s settlement in Goretzka v. West Penn Power not only resulted in a record $105 million payment by the utility but also is expected to bring much-needed safety improvements along 26,000 miles of electric power lines in western Pennsylvania. The record $105 million settlement was announced earlier this week by Shanin Specter, attorney for the family of Carrie Goretzka, who lost her life when a power line fell on the family property in Irwin, Pa., on a clear and sunny June day in 2009. WPP has signed an agreement to improve the training of its linemen on installation and maintenance of its power lines and will inspect splices in the lines using infra-red technology as a safeguard against future failures. The $105 settlement was believed to be the largest-ever of its kind in Pennsylvania. It followed a record $109 million jury verdict against WPP last December.